


Nobody's Asking

by MaJackles



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Gen, Hurt Dean Winchester
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-10
Updated: 2015-07-10
Packaged: 2018-04-08 17:24:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 21,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4313844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaJackles/pseuds/MaJackles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Not every demon wants to see Lucifer rise and some will use some pretty outrageous methods to see the plans get scrapped. Of course, Sam and Dean get caught in the middle...</p>
<p>
  <img/>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> AN: DISCLAIMER! Brainwashing IS a thing of science fiction... Trust me I spent 3 hours reading about it online. There is no documented proof that it is possible. Now there is classical conditioning (think Pavlov's dogs or Stockholm Syndrome) that can come close and also hypnosis. The CIA and the KGB (as well as countless untold governments) have experimented in the area and I actually drew on some of the CIA's disclosed info for my story. But DON'T read this and think... you can't do that! Because you can't! Brainwashing, as most of us think of it, is not possible and therefore is a thing of fiction... as is SPN and Sam and Dean. Sorry to break it to you...now... please enjoy!

1

Devana sat in a chair tucked into the corner of the room, out of the way. She was trying her best not to be impatient, but they had spent months planning tonight's endeavors and the week following, and she wanted it to go off without a hitch. Her fingernail tapping was interrupted by a loud yell from outside. As she turned toward the door, it burst open, bouncing off the wall behind it.

In came five of her compatriots. They were carrying between them a man who struggled mightily. He thrashed in their arms and yelled obscenities to any who would listen. They threw him down into the old dentist's chair and worked on getting him strapped in. One across his ankles, one above his knees, and one across his chest just below his armpits. Throughout all of it, he continued to fight and thrash for all he was worth. His hands were turned palm up, for easier access to his veins, and then the wrists were duct taped, with several layers, to the arms of the chair. The five backed away and three of them exited the now too small room.

The man in the chair heaved in panting breaths from the exertion. Devana eyed him for a moment and then turned her attention to one of the men that remained. "Lucas? Where are Marcus and Alexander? I didn't see them when you came in?"

The man, tall and lean, muscled more like a runner than a weight lifter, nodded toward the one strapped in the chair. "He killed them both."

Devana's eyes flashed toward the man. "Living up to the hype, it seems. More's the pity. I rather liked Marcus." She walked around in front of the man and ran her fingers along his leg.

"You're much more tasty in person, I have to say."

"Screw you. What do you want with me?"

"Cut right to the chase, don't you?" She turned back to Lucas. "Go tell Stuart to prepare what he needs." Lucas left the room and Devana looked back down at their guest.

"Let me start by telling you we are on the same side."

He chuckled. "Oh I highly doubt that."

"You don't want to see Lucifer released from his cage and neither do we."

"We? Who exactly is we? Because I have to say, I've seen a lot of your fellow demons trying REAL hard to obtain his release."

"We may be a smaller faction, but we are still many. We also reach to the highest ranks."

"And what rank are you?"

"High enough. If Lucifer ascends, it will ruin everything we have built for ourselves."

"Oh, boo friggin hoo."

"Oh? So you wouldn't mind his ascension? You think it will be all sunshine and roses for humankind?"

"No. Absolutely not, but I have zero sympathy for you and your kind. So, I ask again, what do you want with me?"

"There is a certain... entity, shall we say, that plays a large role in the release of Lucifer. The other faction is working on him almost daily to prepare him for his role. If we can stop him, it would stop their plans dead in their tracks. It may not stop Lucifer's ascension, but to delay it for ten or even twenty years, would be a start."

The entire time they spoke, he continued to strain and pull at his restraints. "How enlightening. What … do … you ... want ... with ... me?"

He said each word of his question slowly, as if talking to a daft child. Devana closed her eyes and breathed in slowly, calming the intense desire to kill him here and now. But they needed him. He could pull this off where others have already tried and failed. "We want you to kill him before he can fulfill his purpose."

"Thanks for asking, but I don't work for you, you black eyed bitch."

"Oh Dean, who said I was asking?" Devana nodded to the the other man in the room who quickly stepped up behind the chair. He shoved Dean's head forward and wrapped some sort of cloth gag around his head and tied it tightly. Dean struggled, but it was useless. The demon then slammed Dean's head back into the head rest of the dentist's chair and pulled another strap across, securing his head to the seat.

Dean struggled even harder, now, but there was no getting out of the restraints. The door opened and in came a small mousy man. He was balding and had tiny wire rimmed glasses on. He carried a couple of syringes and a remote control. Devana smiled at him. He wasn't controlled by a demon. There was no need. He thought he was doing America a service and was gladly going along with these 'experiments'.

"Stuart. Have everything you need?"

"Yes, Devana, ma'am. I'm all set." He glanced at the struggling man in the chair with a critical eye. "I even think I have the doses correct. You were quite accurate in your description of him."

When Dean saw the syringes in Stuart's hands he started jabbering behind the gag. Stuart stepped on a pedal on the floor and the dentist chair lowered back until Dean was laying flat out on his back. Devana went around and stood behind Dean's head. She leaned over, placing a hand on either forearm, and stared into his eyes. "By the time this week is through, you'll do whatever task we give you, sweety." She leaned down and kissed his nose and he went ballistic within his restraints. Devana stood back up. "Okay, Stuart, show me what you got."

Stuart tapped Dean's wiggling arm, bringing the vein in the elbow up. He then looked at the syringes in his hands and selected one. He uncapped it, studied Dean's arm for a second, and then jabbed it home. Dean grunted through his gag but his struggling slowly died down and his eyes started to roll in his head. Stuart moved around to Dean's other arm and kept a watch on him. Just when it seemed Dean was going to pass into unconsciousness, Stuart stabbed another needle into his other arm. Dean's whole body convulsed and went rigid for a time. His body then slowly relaxed, but his eyes were rolling in his head.

"Okay, basically his body is shut down and it thinks it's asleep. The only movement you'll get would be twitches similar to those you'd get during a dream. His mind, though. His mind is on overdrive. It's hyper alert. His eyes should track anything that moves and he'll soak up anything presented to him." As Stuart said this he waved an empty syringe back and forth above Dean's face and his eyes followed it with intense concentration. "It's like his brain is set to learn with a laser sharp focus. That being said..." Stuart fumbled in a pocket until he withdrew the tv remote. He aimed it at a flat screen tv that they had mounted on the ceiling above the chair. He flicked it on and some random commercial was playing. He hit a few more buttons and the screen went grey with a white noise static for sound. "Ok. The video is set to run for twenty minutes. At the end, I'll give him a few suggestions regarding tomorrow night and then you can take him back."

"Good work, Stuart. Go ahead then." Devana settled herself back into the chair she had started in.

Staurt hit another button and the images started trailing across the screen with lightning speed. Images of death and destruction. Pain and misery. A few shots of the classically held view of Lucifer, complete with horns and pointed tail. Dean's eyes flashed back and forth across the screen, his mind taking it all in and even though Devana couldn't catch it without the drug induced help that Dean was getting, she knew that interspersed within all of those images were flashes of the quarry. She could tell every time Dean's mind caught sight of him, because his whole body would jerk in the restraints. By the time they were done with his re-education, Dean would associate the quarry with death, pain, misery, and evil. To ask him to kill him when this was done? He would gladly jump at the chance.


	2. Chapter 2

2

Devana checked her watch again and then gave a nod to Lucas. The waitress came over and started setting plates out on the table. "Okay, wings for you two and a double cheeseburger for you and the sleepyhead in the corner." After she got all the plates where they needed to go, she smiled and hustled off.

Dominic looked at the burger in front of him. "This thing is huge! I'll never get it in my mouth!"

"That's what she said!" Lucas guffawed and elbowed Dean, who startled awake.

Dean looked around the table at the laughing people in confusion. He then looked at the burger and half empty beer in front of him and frowned.

Lucas elbowed him again. "Come on, man! You're not some kind of prude, are ya Dean? That was hilarious!"

Dean chuckled good naturedly and then grimaced, grabbing his head. Devana reached out a hand. "Are you okay?"

Dean squeezed his eyes shut a few times. "Yeah. You know? I've got a blinding headache. Think I'm gonna knock off." He slid the burger away from himself. "Help yourselves."

Dominic raised his beer. "To the famous, or rather infamous, Dean Winchester. A pleasure meeting you."

"Hear, hear." Lucas and Devana raised their glasses as well.

"Um... yeah. You too." Dean slapped some cash on the table and stumbled out of the bar. Devana shared a smile with Lucas.

oooooOOOOOooooo

Sam clicked 'send' on his phone and then continued to pace about the room. It felt like there were ants crawling under his skin. He hated feeling this dependency, but he also felt so much stronger. He hadn't been strong enough to stop Lilith from taking Dean to hell. That wouldn't happen again. She would pay and Ruby was helping him get there.

The room seemed to close in around him. He was sure it was just the need he had for more, but he had to get out anyway. Some fresh air might help. Sam grabbed his jacket from the back of the chair and headed for the door. He yanked it open and walked out right into Dean.

"Dean! Sorry, man."

"Goin' somewhere Sammy?" Dean looked at him with suspicion.

"What? No! I mean... I couldn't sleep and I thought getting some fresh air would help. I was just coming out here to take a few laps around the parking lot." Sam looked around. "No female companionship tonight?"

Dean grabbed his head and winced. "Nah man. I have a killer headache. Just gonna go to bed."

"Okay. Sure. I'll keep it quiet when I come back in." Sam stepped aside, allowing Dean to get into the room. He watched Dean's back as he went in with a frown. Dean seemed off to him. It wasn't the headache, he'd had his share of those before. No. Dean seemed detached, somehow, like his head was a million miles away, distracted.

The door shut in his face and he turned and looked out at the parking lot. For the first time in what seemed like ages, they had some free time. They had just finished a hunt two days ago and Bobby had asked if they could pop down the road and look something up for him in the rare books section of the local university library. Of course, they got in late and the library was already closed for the day. So, tomorrow he would head over to the university and Dean would do whatever it is he does in his spare time. Tinker with the car, more than likely.

Sam stretched and took a deep breath, sucking in the fresh night air. He hadn't been lying to Dean when he said he couldn't sleep. He started off across the lot and wandered around aimlessly, hoping for a response to his text. He swung by the vending machines by the motel office and grabbed a bag of pretzels. As he was biting into his first one, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He quickly yanked his phone out, almost dropping it on the ground in his haste.

He glanced around and then opened the text that was waiting for him. He scanned Ruby's response and growled. "Damn it! Find my own? I don't have time for this shit." He rambled off a quick response reminding her that she was the one that started him on this path and that she needed to check her priorities. He needed some blood. Frustrated, he threw his uneaten bag of pretzels in a nearby trash can and headed for a final lap of the lot.

Hoping for a little sleep before morning, he finally decided to head back to the room. As he was unlocking the door he heard Dean call his name. He fumbled with the keys, trying to open the door faster. He rushed in and saw Dean in his bed. He was sweating and thrashing in his sleep.

"No! Not Sam!" Dean tossed his head side to side in apparent denial of something. Sam rushed over to the bed and grabbed Dean by the shoulders.

"Dean? Dean! You're dreaming man! Come out of it." Dean gasped and finally awoke. When he saw Sam looming over him he jerked back in surprise. "You were having a nightmare. It's cool. Calm down."

"Calm down? How can anyone calm down with a giant looming over them in their sleep?" Dean shoved Sam away. "I'm fine, ya nancy. Leave me alone."

Sam raised his hands away from him. "Relax, sheesh." Sam went into the bathroom to get ready for bed. He wondered what the dream was about since Dean seemed afraid of him when he came to. He knew better than to ask, though. Not only did Dean not like talking about anything that might show weakness on his part, including his feelings, but any in depth conversation could lead to questions regarding himself and his... addiction. He cast all these thoughts out of his head. He'd need some sort of rest if he was going to be any use at the library tomorrow.


	3. Chapter 3

3

Sam jerked out of bed at the snap of the towel on his ass. "Dean! What the hell, man?"

"C'mon, sleeping beauty. You have research to do and the day is half gone already. I'm getting tired of listening to you snore."

"I don't snore."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Uh huh."

"What time is it, anyway?" Sam threw the rest of the covers off and staggered to the bathroom.

"Ten o'clock already, bro. Let's go. I sweet talked the motel owner into lending me his set of ramps. I want to get moving."

"Ramps?" Sam's brain was too foggy to understand what Dean was talking about.

"For the car, man. Wake up. Gonna do an oil change. I think he's just jealous of my Baby. Told him he could help if he wanted and he jumped at the chance."

"Oh right. The car." Sam shut the bathroom door on his obnoxious brother. He didn't usually sleep this long. It wasn't like him. The need for the blood was messing up his sleep patterns. He was on edge and nervous. The ants crawling under his skin kept him awake for more hours than he slept. He wasn't sure how well he'd be able to focus on this research for Bobby today. He really needed Ruby to come through for him. Worst case, he'd have to find himself a demon who just happened to be operating in the same town as him. Odds were slim. There were no signs of demon activity in the surrounding area.

When he was set to go, Dean drove him over to the university. "You sure you don't want to come in and help? The work would go so much quicker."

"Are you kidding me? Baby needs a day off too, you know. If I'm buried to my armpits in dusty books, who will be taking care of her?"

Sam rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Listen, the library closes at four since the school isn't in session right now. Pick me up then. If I finish before that, I'll call."

"Sure whatever." Dean was already lost in thoughts of his beloved car. Sam heaved an exasperated sigh and got out of the car. He stood there and watched as Dean practically peeled out of the lot.

The research didn't go well. Sam was so distracted with his need, he would be doing well for about an hour and then he would get antsy and have to get up. He'd pace around the small rare books room, trying to read while he walked. Sometimes he'd get up and pace without the book and some other book would catch his eye. It was like he had a sudden onset of ADHD.

Every once in a while he would go out into the library proper and roam around, just to get away from the musty, dusty smell of the rare books room. On one of the excursions through the library, he could have sworn he saw someone watching him, but when he turned to get a better look, the guy ducked behind the stacks. When he went over to investigate, the guy was gone. Maybe he was starting to hallucinate. He had read that hallucinations were part of withdrawal. Shut up, Sam. It hasn't been that long since your last hit.

He went into the bathroom and splashed some cold water in his face, trying to focus. When he got back to the rare books room, one of the books he needed was missing. Sam looked around the room in confusion. Had he set it on a shelf during one of his laps around the small space? Sam wandered throughout the room and could find no sign of it. Going out to the circulation desk, he inquired about it.

"Professor Dmitri needed it, I'm afraid."

"But I was already using it." Sam couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You let him take it out of the rare books room?"

"Faculty, even visiting faculty, have priority over students and non-faculty, sir. I'm sorry. But no worries. There is a 48 hour limit on the rare books. He'll have it back in two days."

"Ugh. Fine. Thank you." Sam growled in frustration. They were now stuck in this town for another two days. Thanks Bobby.

Sam turned away to go back to his research. "Um, sir?"

"Yes?" He turned back to the woman at the desk.

"Just wanted to remind you, we close in ten minutes."

Sam couldn't believe his ears. He looked down at his watch. Where had the day gone? "Sure. I'll just go clean up. Thanks."

Sam headed out to the lot and sat on a bench. Dean was nowhere in sight. He checked his phone. There was a message waiting for him. He had forgotten that he had turned the ringer off while in the library. Funny he never noticed it vibrate in his pocket. He opened up the message. Maybe Dean was running late.

Sam. I can meet you tonight. 12. Warehouse at corner of Chester and Lake streets. - Ruby

Finally! He was losing his mind! She kept telling him the blood would make him stronger and that, given time and practice, he would be able to take down Lilith once and for all. Once he did that, he was done. He would go cold turkey. Dean didn't understand his motives. Dean was always saving his butt and the one time Dean really needed Sam, he was unable to do anything to save him. Sam needed to do this. To prove to himself that he was capable of protecting his brother like he had protected him all these years. The need for the blood disgusted Sam as much as it did Dean. But it was a means to a greater end. Sam was totally capable of giving up the stuff once Lilith was taken care of.

Sam sent off a quick text letting Ruby know he would be there when he heard the familiar rumble of the Impala. He quickly stuffed his phone in his pocket and checked his watch. Five thirty. How had that much time passed? Midnight couldn't come soon enough.

The car pulled up and Sam got in. "Took you long enough."

"Hey." Dean rubbed the dash of the car lovingly. "You can't rush perfection. I did an oil change, gave her a wash AND a wax. She's beautiful, right?"

Sam shook his head and smiled. "Sure Dean. Now, can we go get something to eat? I'm starving."

"Thought you'd never ask."


	4. Chapter 4

4

Dean took them to a bar down the road a ways from their motel. Apparently it was where he had been spending his evenings since they had been in this God forsaken little town. "They have the best bacon cheeseburgers here, Sammy! Big as your face!"

Sam just looked at him. In some ways, Sam could still see the horrors of Hell reflected in his brother's face and in his eyes. He wouldn't talk about it but Sam could see it. And then there were times like now, when you'd never guess that he had been gone. Dean was working hard at trying to forget, at trying to live like nothing had happened. "Um, Dean..."

"Yeah, yeah I know, you won't eat one ya freak. It's okay, they also have a great taco salad. I already checked."

Sam chuckled, shook his head, and got out of the car. Inside they ordered their food. Dean seemed pretty friendly with the waitress who, for some reason, kept calling him sleepy head. Probably another of Dean's conquests since he did come back to the motel pretty late last night. They ate their meals and played some pool. It was obvious, at least to Sam, that they both were playing at 'normal'. Dean wasn't talking about Hell and Sam had his own secrets.

After a while Sam looked down at his watch, surprised at how long they had been there. "Listen, Dean, it's after ten. I'm gonna head back to the motel."

"Sure, Sammy. Let me settle up our tab and I'll drive ya."

"No, no. That's fine. I need some air and the motel is only three blocks from here. Think I'm going to walk." Dean looked at him like he had grown a third head. When he had his Baby, Dean couldn't fathom why anyone would want to walk anywhere. "Seriously. I'll be fine." Sam chuckled. "I'll see you later."

Outside, Sam glanced around and then headed out. He had noticed what looked like an apartment complex a block over from there. He needed a ride. He walked down the street past a laundromat that was getting pretty slim business, past a deserted strip mall, and made a left. The next block down held a pretty sizable apartment complex that shifted into townhouses at the far end. Sam found a small green economy car. It wouldn't stand out anywhere. He lucked out with it not being locked. He hopped in, did what he needed to do down below the dash, and was off. Now to find the warehouse Ruby would be meeting him at.

He drove around town for an hour before he finally found Chester Street. It's not like the town was overly huge, but the streets made no sense. Many of them would jig and jog around. Why would a street go in a straight line? That would be stupid. Sam growled in frustration. Twice he had found Chester Street, previously, but as he was following the road, he would look up at a street sign at an intersection and see he was no longer on Chester. He had to backtrack all the way to where he had found Chester the first time and stop and sit at every intersection. Chester made two turns, one of which was missing it's street sign, leaving Sam to guess as to which way to turn. By the time he finally made it to the corner of Chester and Lake, he was so completely frustrated, he had to sit in the car for twenty minutes just to cool off. It was bad enough he was freaking out over his need for the blood, but the added frustration of the drive over was making him downright homicidal.

During his twenty minute cool down, he studied the building before him. Sam wasn't so sure he'd call it a warehouse. It was a large brick building with a defunct electronics shop in the downstairs, street front corner. There were no doors along the side of the building where he was parked. Possibly in the back or on the other side. There was an upstairs with some windows. They were all dark. The whole building gave off the vibe of disuse.

Sam pulled his cell out and called Ruby. No answer. He left the message that he was there and asked where to go. He waited a bit when he got a text in return: Door at the back upstairs. Sam glanced up at the windows, suddenly feeling like he was being watched. He checked the gun at the back of his pants. As much as he needed her, he still never fully felt comfortable around her. He got out of the car and headed around to the back of the building.

There were two doors at the back. One had a grimy window in it. When Sam peered through he could see an abandoned factory floor of sorts. He moved on to the next door that had no window. It swung open at his touch, revealing a dirty stairwell leading to the upper floor.

He went up and into a studio apartment. It had an open floor plan with few walls. There were two small devil's traps painted on the ceiling and below each was a chair with a man tied to it. Sam glanced around and saw Ruby at the far window, looking down on the street. He went over to her, the men hissing at him as he passed.

"Ruby. Finally."

She turned and gave him her routine little smirk that he had grown used to. "Sam."

He waved a hand at the men. "So what's this?"

"Sam. Tonight I bring you dinner and a show... of sorts." Sam frowned in confusion at her. "Sam, you can't keep getting your blood from me. You'll suck me dry. You're going to have to start getting it from other sources. Especially if you want to get strong enough to take down Lilith." Sam made a face of disgust. "I'm not asking you to have sex with them. It's just a recharge."

"You damn traitor!" One of the men yelled out. "When they find out what you've been up to up here on the surface, you'll never see the light of day again, bitch!"

Ruby walked over to the one that was carrying on. "Oh really? And who is going to tell them what I'm up to, huh? You? Have you looked around yourself lately?" Ruby glanced up at the trap on the ceiling and then back down at him.

The man was clearly scared and acting out of that fear. Sam glanced over at the other one who sat in stony silence, taking everything in.

"I think we have a volunteer for the dinner portion of our evening." Ruby said with a smile and pulled a blade out of the inside of her jacket.

"Ruby wait. I don't know if-"

"Sam. You need more blood and I have no more to offer you." And without hesitation she sliced his throat open. The blood started to pour out.

Sam's first reaction was horror and disgust, but as his need and the smell of the blood overwhelmed him, that feeling was quickly over shadowed. Sam practically lunged himself at the man, whose eyes were rolling in his head. Sam latched his mouth on the man's neck and started to drink it in, the power almost immediately coursing through him. The more power he felt, the more he drank. It was like a mosquito bite. The more you scratched, the more it itched. He eventually became aware of Ruby trying to pull him away, repeatedly saying his name.

"Sam! Slow down! You don't need all of him right now!" He finally let her pull him away. She had a bowl in her hands and she set it in the man's lap to collect what blood remained to pour out.

Sam stood back panting and exhilarating in the feel of the power flowing through him. He looked over at the other demon who had been watching in confused shock. When he caught sight of the look in Sam's eyes, his own eyes slowly faded from confused to giant orbs of realization.

"Hey man. I, ah, don't know what you're thinking, but I'm sure we don't need to go down that road." His voice had the ring of desperation to it. "I can be useful to you! I, ah, I can find others like him for you to, ah, feed off of?"

"What do you think I've been doing for him, you dolt." Ruby snarked at him.

Sam took a step towards him and the demon started thrashing in his bindings like a crazed animal. Sam raised his hand toward the demon, tilted his head to the side, and closed his eyes. The demon stopped resisting and just sat and stared at him. Ruby leaned in to Sam's ear. "Focus, Sam. Do more than just send him back to hell. We can't have him tattling to anyone about what we're doing here. Focus." She whispered.

Sam opened his eyes and zeroed his gaze in on the demon's forehead. His head started screaming in pain at the effort and he grabbed his head with his free hand.

"Focus. Ignore the pain."

The demon started to cough and choke and then threw his head back and the demon smoke poured from his mouth. It coalesced at the trap on the ceiling. In the past, the most Sam had done was pull the demon from their host and then send it back to Hell. This time, though, he focused on destroying the demon. He imagined it was Lilith and she needed the payback she so rightly deserved. The smoke, instead of soaking into the trap and wending it's way back to hell, swirled around up at the ceiling, like it was trying to find a way out. It suddenly caught flame and burned up, raining ash down on the meat suit that now sat slumped in the chair below.

Sam lowered his arm, gasping with the effort. "Is he..?"

"Oh, his meat suit died years ago. He's beyond saving. They both were." She looked at Sam then with a smile on her face. "You did very well tonight, Sam." He grinned in response to the praise. He was finally getting there. He felt like he could take on five Liliths right now. "Don't get cocky. This was a low level drone. His power was nothing compared to Lilith. You have a long way to go before you are ready for her, Sam. Here." Ruby held out a small towel to him. He hadn't even realized he probably had blood smeared all over his face.

Sam rubbed and wiped at his face and when he saw the crimson stain on the white towel, he felt sick. He rushed to the corner of the room and threw up.


	5. Chapter 5

5

Lucas and Dominic sat in a corner booth back behind Dean and Sam. When Sam got up and left, Lucas nodded to Dominic, who went out to have a cigarette. They didn't want to make any moves on Dean while his brother was around to mess things up. Dom came back a couple minutes later and nodded his head. "He's walking apparently. Headed out down the road toward their motel." Lucas nodded and got up.

He walked over to Dean's table and smacked him on the shoulder. "Hey Dean! Glad you came back! I got that book for you." He set a glass of beer down in front of Dean. "Here, have a refill, on me."

Dean frowned at him. "Do I know you?"

"We met yesterday. Hey Dom! Come here!" Dominic went over and smiled. "Me, Dom and Dev? We had some beers? Swapped some hunting stories? I think you had too much to drink because you passed out. Went home with a headache?" Lucas sat down where Sam had been sitting.

"Oh yeah. Man that headache must have really done a number on me. I do remember now. Sorry man." Dean took a swig of the beer Lucas had offered.

"No problem! You probably don't remember about the book then?" Dean just gave him a sheepish look and shook his head. "It's ok. I was telling you that I have come into quite an extensive collection of books that could be useful to a hunter. You had mentioned that your brother is quite the research geek." Dean made a face. "Hey your words, not mine!" Lucas chuckled. "Anyway I brought a few along tonight. If you want to go out to my truck and take a look, you can take one for him." He took a sip of his own drink, thereby enticing Dean to drink more of his.

"Why would you part with one? Books that have any bearing on the business are few and far between."

Lucas looked at Dominic in a surprised fashion. "Because you guys are the Winchesters! You are legend in the biz, man! Least I can do!"

Dean grinned. "Well, when you put it that way, how can I refuse?"

Dominic slapped him on the back. "See? Pays to be good at what you do! Come on."

Dominic headed for the door and Lucas followed close behind. Dean slapped some cash on the table to cover his bill, took a final chug of the beer Lucas had given him, and followed them out. When Dean came out, Lucas threw his arm around his shoulders. "So, where are you guys based?"

"Based?"

"Yeah. Home? Where is home? Where do you work out of?"

"Well. We were born in Kansas, but we've been on the road since I was four."

Lucas stopped walking. "You've been living on the road since you were four? You have no home base to go back to after a hunt?"

"Nope. We finish a hunt and move on to the next one." They started walking again.

"Well, hell, man! Do you tow a trailer around with you? How do you do it?"

Dean chuckled. "We have become experts at traveling light. We have friends here and there that can put us up, if needed, in an emergency, but we rarely need it."

They continued walking and rounded the corner of the bar and came to a giant Cadillac Escalade. This time Dean came to a halt. "Shit, dude! This is your ride?"

"Yeah, well, I come from money what can I say?"

"It's no wonder you have trouble imagining traveling light!"

Lucas chuckled and headed over to the back tail gate. He pulled out his key fob and hit a button. The truck bleeped and it's lights flashed. Dean just shook his head in awe. Lucas lifted up the tail gate. "You have to understand this isn't what I do my hunting in."

"Damn there's a lot of space back here!"

Lucas pointed to a small box to the side that held a few books in it. "Take your pick, brother."

As Dean leaned over the tail to see into the box he stumbled a bit. "You okay?"

"Yeah. A bit dizzy. I must be coming down with something."

"Well, take a look at the books and then head back to your hotel. Get some rest and some orange juice."

Dean barked out a laugh. "Yes mom. He always like this?" He asked Dominic.

"Yes." They laughed and Dean took a book out of the box and swayed on his feet. Dominic caught him and helped him sit on the lip of the truck. They played at looking concerned for him until he fell over in the truck.

"Shit, I thought that stuff would never take effect! Playing at nice to this fucker hurts, man!" Lucas pulled up Dean's legs and made sure he was fully into the back end before slamming the gate home.

"Tell me about it. Let's get him to Dev and call it a night."

"Well, until we have to bring him back here." Lucas groaned, going around and getting in the truck.

"Yeah, but he'll be out then and we won't have to play nice."

"True."

They drove to where Dev was doing her experiment. They carried him in and dumped him into the dentist chair. "Shit this fucker is solid." Dominic groaned. They got him strapped into the chair with a little effort.

Dev came in and surveyed the scene. "When will he wake?"

Lucas checked his watch. "I'd say about twenty minutes."

"Glad we got an earlier start tonight, but it will still be late when we get him back."

"Yeah, well his brother is off with that whore so he won't care when Dean gets back." Dominic made a face.

"Well, you two can take a break. I'll call you when I need you back. Good work."

Lucas and Dom left and Devana stood and considered the sleeping form of Dean Winchester. He had been trained, essentially, to be a killer since the age of four. The man was a walking weapon. He was a genius at strategy, a fact most people didn't give him enough credit for. But in preparing for this job, she had spent countless hours studying the man. His mind, she found, was his biggest weapon and one nobody expected from him. It could be because he played at the beer drinking, womanizer who didn't give a fuck about anyone or anything. It would be fascinating to take him as a meat suit. She reached over and yanked the neck of his shirt down, revealing the tattoo on his chest. What a shame.

"See anything you like?" he mumbled. She stepped back, releasing his shirt. He struggled a bit at his restraints, enough to know he wasn't going anywhere. "Who are you? You look familiar. Where am I?"

She went over to the door. There was a box on the wall. She pushed a button on it and spoke. "Stu. He's awake and ready for you." She turned and just looked at him. She didn't want to get him talking.

"Stu. Who's Stu? Who the fuck are you people?"

She continued to stare at him. The door opened a moment later and Stu came in, carrying his syringes. Dean pulled at the duct tape around his wrists. "Calm down Mr. Winchester. We'll have you out of here and back to your beer in no time." Stu pressed on the pedal, lowering Dean to his back.

"You know what? I'm good. Teeth are great. I'm not too hip on invasive dentistry here, guys."

Stu looked up at Devana. "He's funny."

"He likes to think he is. Go ahead, Stu. Whenever you're ready."

Stu repeated the procedure from the night before, putting Dean into a trance-like state and starting up the video, which would run longer than yesterday. Although Dean still jerked when he caught sight of their prey in the video, it wasn't as much as yesterday. "He seems to be taking it better already." She mused.

"Yes. Surprising. Considering what you had told me of the man, I thought it would be harder than it is. This is only day two, though. I'll give him a trigger word tonight and tomorrow you can test his compliance with a simple task."

"Sounds good. I'm sure Lucas will enjoy that."

At the end of the video, Stu had Dean close his eyes and listen to him. He told him a trigger word that, when he heard it, would stop him from his current activity and leave him open for orders. When the trigger word was said again, he would return to his activity as if nothing had happened and complete his mission when appropriate.

Devana called Lucas and Dom back to take Dean back to the bar. As they were carrying him out, she called after them. "Stick around the bar long enough to make sure he gets home in one piece, okay?"

"Sure. Whatever." They stumbled out under Dean's dead weight and took him back to the bar. They propped him up behind the wheel of his beloved car and then got out of sight to keep an eye on him.

About thirty minutes later, he came to and was obviously disoriented. He looked around himself trying to get his bearings. Lucas saw him pick up the book that he had left on the seat next to him, completing the ruse. Dean shook his head, started up his car, and took off back to his motel.


	6. Chapter 6

6

Dean was still sleeping soundly when Sam got up the next morning. He wasn't here when Sam got in last night, so assuming he had had a late night, Sam let him sleep. He wrote up a note letting Dean know he took the car to the library and left a pile of quarters for the Magic Fingers. Dean could happily amuse himself for a few hours.

After last night, Sam felt like he could take on the world today. He slept like the dead last night, never hearing Dean come in. The weird paranoia that had him jumping at every sound and movement over the last few days seemed to have gone with the latest hit. He felt refreshed and ready for the day. Unfortunately that meant more research for Bobby, but at least this time he would be able to focus on what he was reading. Who knows, he may look at the books from the previous day and not remember any of it.

He grabbed his laptop and the car keys from Dean's jacket pocket and headed out. He stopped at a little diner on the corner for a light breakfast and then planned on a full day at the library. Who knows, maybe that visiting professor returned that book a day early.

Sam parked and walked across campus to the library. At one point he stopped and turned in a circle, scanning the area. His neck prickled as if he were being watched. Come on, dude, the paranoia is gone. Remember? This was different, though. This was that gut feeling that he, or more frequently Dean, would get on a hunt when they just knew they weren't alone. He took one last look around and, aside from a mailman across the street, there wasn't a soul around. He shook his head and turned down the next walk to the library.

Inside, he checked in at the desk, where they took his name down and escorted him back to the rare books room. He asked about the loaned book, but it hadn't been returned as of yet. He settled down with his laptop and got to work. He reviewed what he had read the day before. For the most part, most of it sounded familiar. He had to return to the last book he had been reading yesterday, though. He started over with it and settled in, taking notes on his laptop.

He took a break around one and let the woman at the desk know he was headed over to the cafe nearby for a bite to eat. Once again, while walking across the campus, he felt eyes on him. Maybe it was guilt over his activities with Ruby or it was other demons. Maybe they have heard of his goal to kill Lilith. The angels didn't seem too keen on him either. Maybe they were watching him. He picked up his pace, ate quickly and was back at the library in under an hour. He never saw anyone but the feeling was there none the less.

He didn't get the feeling of being watched while in the library and he soon lost himself in the studies. After about two more hours, he had done all he could do until the other book was returned. Something he had read, though, rang a bell with him and he cleaned up in the rare books room and went out to the newspaper stacks and microfiche. He started scanning back through the years and found at least two stories in the news that could have been this creature that Bobby had him researching.

He went back over to the cabinet to get another microfiche when he noticed someone quickly pop back into one of the many rows of books off to his left. He could have sworn it was the same guy he had seen the day before that had vanished when he went looking for him. He stayed at the cabinet, not wanting to let on that he had seen the man, but keeping an eye out for him in his peripheral vision. He noticed movement again. The man had not gone away, but seemed to be watching him through the books on the shelves separating them. Sam scanned the area immediately around him. Off to his right was a door marked employees only. Okay. If this guy is really wanting to see what he was up to, he would definitely follow him into an employee only area.

Sam went back to his work area and set the latest addition to his pile of work and then wandered along the far wall toward the door, not moving too quickly. When he got to the door, he made a show of making sure nobody was watching before popping through the door. It opened onto a landing. Stairs led down to what was apparently the janitorial area. The heating and cooling units were below, making soft humming sounds. He pulled a pen out of his pocket and tucked himself back behind where the door opened into the space and waited.

He soon noticed the shadow of feet at the bottom of the door. Just as the door started to open, he tossed the pen over the railing to his right. It clattered and bounced off equipment below. The door paused and then swung in. When a hand reached around it to push it shut, Sam grabbed the wrist and yanked the man into the room. They grappled for a moment and then Sam swung his long leg out, tripping the man to the floor.

Sam jumped onto him and grabbed him at the throat. "Who are you? Why are you watching me?"

The man acted at being shocked. "I'm just an employee here! What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Bull! You were here watching me yesterday too."

"When one works, they usually do so more than one day a week! I was just replacing books to the shelves!"

Sam began to question himself. Maybe he still was paranoid. While Sam was lost in his own head, the man threw his arms up knocking Sam's hand from his throat and rammed the heel of his other hand up under Sam's chin. His head jerked back and the man bucked beneath him, tossing him off. They grappled a bit more and then the man was on top of him, grinning.

"How the rest see you as a threat is beyond me. This is almost too easy."

Sam had a good foot and a half on this guy, though, and brought his knee up and slammed the guy at the base of his skull, shoving him forward. Sam grabbed the guy's shirt and helped him along, tossing him back over his head and behind him. He quickly jumped up and turned. They circled each other on the small landing, each waiting for the other to make a move.

"I knew it. Demon then?"

The man grinned and flashed his black eyes at him. "You'll never stop us, Sammy." He said Sam's name with a sneer. "You and your pathetic brother are delusional if you think you can stop us. Our plans will see their end whether you two are here or not. You humans are all just pawns."

The demon suddenly lunged at Sam and they both went down. Sam cracked his head on the grating of the floor. The demon grabbed him at the throat and started squeezing. Sam had been reaching for the demon blade at his back when the demon had attacked, his arm now pinned beneath him.

"This isn't so hard." He squeezed harder causing Sam to start seeing spots. "They won't need Dean after all."

Sam frowned. "What do you mean? What about Dean?" Sam rasped out between gasps for air.

"You still demand answers? Who has the upper hand here?" The demon increased his grip.

Sam thrashed and tried rolling to the side. It wasn't enough to get the demon off him and he knew it wouldn't be. But it had been enough for him to free his arm. He swung the demon blade up and slashed the demon's arm. The demon jumped up and back and growled in frustration.

"You would be nothing without that whore traitor's knife, boy."

"What were you talking about just now? Who needs Dean?" Sam took a step closer. They started circling again, the demon being a little more wary this time. What Sam hadn't counted on was the demon running. Smoke out? Yes. Keep fighting? Yes. But the demon circled around to the door and whipped it open and ran from the room. Sam grabbed at his jacket as he went but he pulled from his grasp.

Sam went to tuck the knife into his jacket to give pursuit when he noticed the blood on it. He paused just long enough to give the demon the lead he needed to get away. He was captivated by the drop of blood that was quivering on the tip. It dropped and he shot his hand out catching it in his palm. He was almost in a trance as he brought his hand to his mouth and licked the drop off. He closed his eyes at the tiny rush it gave. He took his thumb and ran it along the blade, wiping the rest of the blood off, and then stuck it in his mouth.

After a moment he shook himself free from the place he had disappeared to. Get a grip Sam! You let him get away, you idiot! He quickly stuffed the knife into his jacket and pulled open the door. The library was ghostly quiet. He glanced at his watch. The place was closing in about twenty minutes. He gathered up his stuff, leaving the microfiche he had been using scattered across the small table, and rushed out to the car.


	7. Chapter 7

7

Sam had expected to find Dean sprawled across the bed when he got back to the motel, so he was surprised to find an empty room. He ducked his head into the bathroom, but he wasn't there either. Turning and scanning the room, Sam caught sight of a folded up piece of paper stuck in the coin slot on the Magic Fingers: "Ran out of quarters – went for a bite to eat".

Sam contemplated waiting until he got back but thought better of it. Dean needed to know about the demon at the library. Just assuming Dean was at that bar down the road, Sam hopped into the car once again. As he drove, he started to second guess himself. Maybe he shouldn't tell Dean about the demon after all. Demons that were gunning for his little brother would just arouse Dean's suspicions about Sam's activities even further. On the other hand, the demon had mentioned using Dean in some way. What had he meant? There was no way around it. He had to talk to Dean about it.

When he walked in to the bar, Sam spotted Dean sitting in a booth, laughing with two other men, and stopped short. He didn't recognize them and it wasn't like Dean to socialize much. Unless it was with a woman. Sam slowed his pace and walked over.

"Hey Sammy! Finally decide to take a break and eat something?" Dean smiled up at him.

"Dean." Sam said with a nod and glanced briefly at the other men at the table. "Not really hungry."

Dean shook his head in amazement and made introductions. "Sam, let me introduce you to a couple of fellow hunters. This is Lucas and Dominic."

"Dom." The one said and held out his hand for a shake.

"Pleasure." said the other, offering his hand as well.

"Hunters huh? You fellas here on a case?" That might explain the demon in the library.

Dominic chuckled and shook his head. "I wish. Nah, man. We're here so Lucas, here, can visit his woman."

Dean and Lucas high fived across the table while Dom and Sam rolled their eyes.

Sam tapped Dean's arm. "Can I talk to you?"

"Sure, bro. What's up?"

Sam glanced around the table. "Um... alone?"

Dean frowned at Sam and then looked to his new friends. "Excuse me fellas." They nodded and Sam pulled Dean over near the empty end of the bar. Dean settled onto one of the bar stools while Sam glanced around them, making sure no one was within earshot.

"So? What's so important?"

"Dean, I had a run in with a demon over at the library." At this news, Dean also glanced around them.

"I assume you ganked him. Why the big secret? I told you they were hunters."

"No. I didn't kill him."

"You had the knife, right?"

"That's not it. I mean, I think I sliced his arm pretty good, but... he ran away."

Dean looked briefly confused. "You mean he smoked out?"

"No. He literally ran away."

"What? That doesn't make any sense. I've never heard of them doing that. If they get cold feet, they usually just smoke out."

"That wasn't even the oddest bit." Sam stopped. Dean was staring past him, toward the front of the bar. He had completely zoned out. Sam turned but saw no one of interest. "Dean?"

"Hey Sammy. Do we know that guy?" Dean jerked his chin toward a small balding man with glasses. Other than acting like this was his first time in a bar, nothing really stood out about him.

"No. I don't think so. He doesn't look familiar."

"Huh. Anyway, what was interesting?"

"He mentioned you by name."

"Well I did just spend some time in Hell not too long ago."

"That's not it. He was trying to kill me and he mentioned that maybe they wouldn't need you after all."

"They who?"

"We never got that far. I got the upper hand on him and he ran."

"Indiana Jones!"

Sam just stared in confusion at his brother. "Dean, what are you talking about?"

"That little guy that I thought looked familiar! He looks like that nazi dude from the Indiana Jones movie!"

Sam just stared. "Seriously?"

"What?"

"I'm telling you that some demons seem to have some sort of plans for you and all you can think about is some guy across the room?"

"Sam. Relax. Let them come. They never scared me before. We'll gank their asses if they try anything."

Sam pursed his lips in consternation. "Okay. I thought you'd want to know."

"Thanks, bro. I'll be on higher alert. That book returned yet?"

"Huh? Oh yeah. No, not yet. Another day here, I guess."

"You gonna come over and chat with the guys?"

"What? Exchange war stories?" Dean's face lit up. "Um, no. You enjoy yourself, though. I think I'm going to go back to the room and see if I can make sense of any of the research I did today. Maybe look for any local demon signs. Something is going on..."

"Sure Sammy. You can tell me all about what you found out when I get back."

Lucas followed along with as much of the conversation as he could and left the bar to call Dev. "Dev, anything weird happen today?"

"Not that I'm aware of, why?"

"Sam just came into the bar and pulled Dean aside. Told him he was attacked by a demon at the library."

"What? Everyone has been told to keep their distance! Who was it?"

"No idea and I didn't catch all of the conversation, but Sam, at least, is now on higher alert than previously. Any way to move this all along a little faster?"

"Let me talk to Stu and I'll text you back with any change to tonight's plans, if any."

"Got it."

He looked across the bar and saw Stu stand and step outside with his cell. He and Dom shared a worried glance but quickly smiled when Dean returned to the booth. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah. Nothing we can't handle."

Dom talked a bit about Dean's car, which was always good for a distraction. A few hours later, Lucas's phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out to check the text.

"Woman wanting to know why you're not home?" Dean joked.

"Yeah. We should probably head out. It's getting late."

"I'm gonna hit the head before we go. Meet you outside." Dom excused himself and made his way back to the men's room.

"Well. Sorry to cut this one short, Dean. Hope we'll see you again before you clear out."

"Sure." Dean gave him a nod as he watched him leave. He caught sight of the nazi from the movie head to the restroom and followed him in.

Dom saw Dean coming down the hall and gave a nod in his direction as they passed. He

turned and watched him enter the restroom and then hurried outside to catch up with Lucas.

"What's the word?"

"Stu said the only way to speed things up is to get a good idea of where we are. So, he's going to have Dean freeze out here and we're going to mess with him. See how compliant he is to commands and whatnot. We're supposed to see if there's anything he's resistant to doing or anything that he struggles with. Stu's going to hang back and videotape it. He'll check it out and see what they need to do back at the lab later."

Dom grinned. "Finally. A chance to mess with him, the cocky fucker."

In the bathroom, Stu watched Dean come in and use the facilities through the crack in the stall door. He had to admit he was a bit intimidated being in the same room with such a dangerous man without the others for protection. As Dean was washing his hands, he stepped out of the stall and smiled nervously at him, stepping up to the sink next to him.

"You know, man, you probably get this all the time, but you look like that guy in the Indiana Jones movie. The bad guy nazi? You know?"

Stu looked at Dean startled. He wasn't expecting pleasantries from him, let alone pulp culture trivia. "Um... Indiana Jones?"

"Oh, come on, man! Harrison Ford? Search for the Ark of the Covenant? It's a classic!"

"Oh! Yes, um, no. I've never been told that, actually." Dean grabbed a handful of paper towel. This was going to be Stu's only chance to do this.

"Really? I can't believe that."

"Scuttle fish." Stu said watching Dean carefully.

Dean stopped drying his hands off and dropped them to his sides. He stared straight ahead vacantly. Stu stepped over and flicked the latch to lock the restroom so they wouldn't be disturbed.

"Dean. Can you hear me?"

"Yes." He answered in a far away sort of way.

"When you leave the restroom, you'll head straight out to your car. When you get within four feet of it, you'll freeze. Like a statue. You'll not move. You'll not talk. Understand?"

"Yes. Statue."

"You'll remain that way until Dom touches your face and says your name. At that point, you'll do whatever he tells you to do, without comment. Without speaking. Understood?"

"Dom. Follow orders. Yes."

"Very good. Your mission is over when you once again see my face. Understood?"

"Mission ends at you. Yes."

Stu nodded his head, satisfied with how easy this really was. He unlocked the bathroom door and stepped back into one of the stalls. "Scuttle fish." he called out and watched Dean through the crack again. Dean started wiping his hands again with the paper towel. He tossed the paper out and left the restroom. Stu hurriedly grabbed his video camera from his pocket and followed him out of the bar.


	8. Chapter 8

8

Lucas and Dom waited out of sight as Dean came out of the bar and strolled toward his car around the side of the building. As he started getting closer, he dug in his pockets, removing his keys, and then stopped. Lucas waited a moment to make sure this was the freeze they were waiting for and not just Dean pausing. When he didn't resume walking, Lucas walked over.

"Hey Dean, what's up?" He watched Dean closely. His head was tilted ever so slightly down, eyes seemingly on the lock on the door of his car. His lips moved a bit in response to Lucas but he didn't say anything.

"Not going to answer? That's kind of rude." Dean frowned, his lips continuing to move silently.

"You know, you hunters are a bunch of self righteous pricks! Going around killing "monsters" when you humans make the worst monsters of us all."

Dean started to breath heavily. He was obviously getting distraught. Lucas knew he wanted to respond more than anything but his body wasn't cooperating. His subconscious brain had taken control. Time to see how far that control extended.

Lucas walked right up to him and stared into his eyes. "No defense for your dickbag behavior?" The tendon on Dean's jaw was twitching with his rising anger. Lucas slapped him across the face and he just stood there and took it. He laughed. He couldn't help it. "Look at this! The mighty Dean Winchester at a loss for words! Never thought I'd see the day!" He punched him in the stomach. Other than a grunt, Dean didn't reply with a punch of his own.

"This must be killing you! Standing there, taking a beating, and doing nothing to retaliate." Lucas turned and walked over to the car. "I wonder..." He went back and snatched the keys out of Dean's hands. "Mind if I take your car for a spin?"

Dean took a micro step forward and then halted. Lucas could see him wrestling with himself. "No? I've always wanted to take this baby out on the open road." He walked over and caressed the car. "Really open her up and see what she can do." He turned and looked back at Dean. He raised the keys and dangled them in the air. "Or better yet... maybe I'll leave my own special mark on her. You know, so you can always remember me." He turned and went to unlock the car but the key slipped and put a small scratch into the paint near the key hole.

"Oops."

He turned and looked at Dean. His chest was heaving, he was panting with the exertion of restraint, and his hands were fisted at his sides. If Lucas had to guess, the closer to topics near and dear to Dean he got, the less control they had. He wasn't ready for the main objective quite yet. "You know, you can barely see that." He turned back to the car and set the key next to the scratch and started dragging it along the door, leaving a long scratch in it's wake.

Before he even heard movement, Dean had slammed into his back, forcing his face into the door frame above. Blood splattered as his nose broke against the metal. "Shit, you fucker!"

Dean drove his arm into the back of his head, grinding his broken nose against the car, and started raining punches down into his kidney with his other arm.

Dom ran over and grabbed Dean's face in his hands. "Whoa! Whoa! Dean! Stop! DEAN!"

Dean finally looked up at Dom, recognized him and stopped. "Step away from him." Dean took a couple steps back and caught his breath.

Dom helped Lucas turn around. "You okay?"

"Of course. Just a broken nose."

"I guess he's not quite ready yet, is he?"

Lucas chuckled. "Not when it comes to his car at least."

"Well, let's see how he does following orders." Dom turned to Dean. "Follow me." He started walking to the truck and glanced back to see Dean was following him. He opened the back door. "Get in, lie down across the back seat, and don't move." Dean actually crawled into the back and curled up on the seat. He had a confused look on his face as if he were trying to figure out why he kept doing what he was told.

Dom looked over to see Stu hopping into his little car. Heading back to the lab ahead of them.

Dom climbed in the passenger seat and waited for Lucas to get in. "You okay to drive?"

"It'll stop bleeding eventually." Lucas started up the truck and took them to the lab. He pulled them up the ramp at the loading dock and into the building. After they got the garage door down and had privacy, Dom opened the back door. "Get out." Dean climbed out and just stood there, waiting for orders.

Dom studied him for a moment. "Sing the I'm a Little Teapot song." Lucas snorted, but Dean didn't move. He frowned and looked at Dom for help. "Come on! Every kid learned that song as a kid!"

Lucas laughed again. "Nice idea, Dom, but I doubt he had much of a normal childhood."

Dominic sighed. "I guess you're right. Damn, that would have been funny as hell." He looked at Dean again. "Take off your jacket and hand it to Lucas." Dean did so without hesitation.

"Take off your shirt and give it to Lucas." Dean did so.

Dom chuckled. "Take off your t-shirt, wave it in the air over your head and then toss it back over your shoulder." Lucas laughed again. Dean frowned, paused for a moment, then did as he was told. "Nice."

Dominic looked up at the security camera over by the door. "I hope they're getting all of this for their research." He circled Dean, looking at him. "Drop and give me twenty." Dean dropped to the ground and started doing push-ups.

"Man, this isn't a test. You gotta make him do something he wouldn't be comfortable doing."

"Yeah I suppose you're right. Dean. Take off your boots and socks." Dean stopped doing push-ups and sat on the floor unmoving. "Dean! Take off your boots and socks!" Dom yelled at him. Dean started fumbling with the laces of his boots, having trouble with them because he was fighting the urge to do so. He eventually got them all off and sat there staring at them in confusion, as if he were trying to figure out why he had taken them off.

"Take your pants off and hand them to Lucas." Dean started to breath heavily again. "We may be getting close to that limit." Dom whispered to Lucas, who nodded. "Take off your pants, NOW!" Dean jerked a bit at the yelling and then started fumbling with his belt. He handed his jeans to Lucas who chuckled.

"Do me a favor and don't go any further. I don't need to see the dude's junk, man."

"Had no intention of doing so." Dom stood behind Dean and leaned in to his ear. "Get down on your hands and knees." Dean remained standing. "On your hands and knees, Dean. Don't make me tell you again." Dean looked down at the floor but still hesitated. Dom kicked at the back of his legs, forcing him to the floor. "Now to your hands as well." Dean finally lowered himself to his hands.

"Shit, man, I owe him." Lucas took a step forward and planted his foot in Dean's gut. Dean toppled over, holding his stomach and grimaced.

"Damn it, Lucas!" Dom shoved him back. "Dean, back up on your hands and knees."

Dean got back up and Dominic straddled his back like a kid on a horse. "Alright, let's go!"

Lucas snorted and went over and opened the door. "Crawl, Dean!"

Dean growled a little under his breath, but started crawling, carrying Dom forward on his back. "Shit, this beats carrying his heavy ass up there!" When they got to a break in the hallway, Dom told him to go to the left. They eventually came to a metal staircase with holes cut into each step and the edges of each hole flared up to add traction. It would be hell on Dean's knees. Dean came to a stop at the base of the stairs.

"What are you stopping for? Get your ass up those stairs!" Dean started to stand up, almost sending Dom to the floor. "Dean, stop. Crawl up the stairs. Nobody said to stand up." By the time Dean had carried Dom up the flight of steps, his knees were a scratched bloody mess.

"Now, through that door and to the left."

Once through the door they came to the room with the dentist chair. Dean came to a halt. It obviously triggered something in his memory. Dom hopped off and slapped Dean's rear. "Good horsey. Now climb up in the chair and be quick about it." Dean balked then. He stood up and tried to leave the room only to run straight into Lucas.

"Where do you think you're going, big boy?" Lucas reached down and squeezed Dean's balls, causing him hiss out a breath and double over. He gave him a shove and he toppled backwards, landing on the chair. They made quick work of strapping him down and then left the room, laughing and joking with each other.

Stu and Dev entered about twenty minutes later chatting about the night's events. "I'd say maybe two or three more sessions, ma'am. He still fights some of the commands, especially those that make him feel uncomfortable or threaten harm to that which he loves. Namely his car in this case. Asking him to go after the main objective at this point would be detrimental to the cause."

"Agreed. But we can only afford three more nights at most. The quarry is getting suspicious already."

"Yes ma'am." Stu walked over to Dean and leaned over him. "Hello again."

"What the hell is going on?!"

"Nice to see you as well. You are doing very well Mr. Winchester."

"What? Who are you? I've seen you before." Dean made a face. "At the bar! You were at the bar!"

"Yes that's correct." Stu pulled out a syringe and started tapping on Dean's arm, drawing up a vein.

"Hey, whoa! What's that for? I'm sure whatever it is we can talk about it."

Stu chuckled. "You know, you're not half bad Mr. Winchester." Stu jabbed a needle into Dean's arm and watched as he started to drop under. He followed suit with the other syringe in the other arm and then started up the video. Dean didn't react all all this time, but lay there stoically taking the whole thing in.


	9. Chapter 9

9

Sam's cell started ringing, waking him from a sound sleep. He fumbled around on the nightstand for it, knocked it to the floor, and finally snagged it. "Yeah?"

"Sammy, wake up."

"What is it Dean?"

"Open the motel room door would ya?"

"Open it yourself."

"Wake up, dude! I can't find my key!"

Sam sighed heavily. "Fine. Give me a second."

Sam threw the covers off and went to the door, rubbing his eyes. Dean popped his door open, hopped out, kicked it shut behind him and high tailed it past Sam and into the room.

"Dean? Why are you naked?" Sam barely noticed it at all, still trying to wake up.

"I'm not naked! I have my underwear on!"

"Okay. Why are you running around in just your underwear?" Sam got a glass from the counter and got himself some water from the kitchen sink.

"I don't know."

"You don't know."

"I don't remember! Look, I woke up in the car this way!"

"Oh! So you banged some chick in the car, thanks for that by the way, and then passed out from too much booze. Wouldn't be the first time Dean."

Dean dumped his stuff on the bed and started pacing. "No. No, I'm pretty sure I'd remember something like that. Anyway, since when do I pass out from alcohol?"

"Good point. Okay, then, what do you remember?" Sam sat on the bed opposite, sipping his water.

"The last thing I remember is going to the bathroom at..." Dean held up his wrist only to find the watch not there. He held his wrist for a moment. "Sam what time is it?" Dean started digging through the clothes he'd dumped on the bed, finally pulling out his watch from amongst the clothing.

Sam turned to the nightstand clock behind him. "2:14."

"2:14... 2:14. Shit the last thing I remember was going to the restroom around ten o'clock."

He waited for Dean to continue but there was nothing more. "That's it?" Dean nodded, looking worried. "You don't remember coming out of the bathroom? Going to the car? Anything?"

"Nope went in, took a leak, started washing my hands and that's it. Something friggin weird is going on here, Sammy." Dean started pacing around the room nervously.

"What did you do to your knees?"

"What? Nothing's wrong with my knees." Dean looked down and stopped, frozen to the spot. His knees were a mess of scratches and dried blood. "What the hell?"

Sam chuckled, he couldn't help it. Dean stood staring at his knees in horror and seemed like he was beginning to hyperventilate. "So... what were you doing that had you in your undies and on your knees, Dean?" Sam chuckled again and Dean looked like he was going to be sick.

"I think I'm going to be sick." Dean ran to the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.

"Hey! I was only joking!" Sam walked over to the door of the bathroom and knocked on it.

"Dean?" He heard retching sounds from the other side. "Oh man. Are you really sick in there?"

After a minute or two, Dean opened the door. His face was ghostly pale and covered with a sheen of sweat. "I'm not feeling so good, Sammy. Think I'll lay down for a bit." Sam stepped back and let his brother pass and watched as he crawled into bed without even bothering to remove the stuff he'd dumped on it earlier.

Sam frowned to himself. Something was definitely going on. First, he was being watched at the library and then attacked. Second, the attacker makes reference to needing Dean. Now Dean is not only physically ill, but losing chunks of time. Sam went over to the nightstand and grabbed his cell and then set it down again. He couldn't bother Bobby over something like this in the middle of the night. He'd stay up, keep an eye on Dean, and call Bobby in the morning. Sam pulled a wastebasket over to the bedside and got a glass of water and set it on the table next to Dean. Pulling up a chair he settled in for the rest of the night.

Sam woke up the next morning with a seriously sore neck after having dozed off in the chair. He glanced over and found Dean's bed empty. Jumping up he scanned the room and then realized he heard the shower running. He opened the door a crack and called in to Dean.

"How are you feeling this morning? Any better?"

"A little. Don't feel up to going anywhere though. You can go ahead and take the car to the library. I'm going to stay here, maybe sleep some." Dean called from the shower.

"You want me to get you anything while I'm out?"

"Nah, man."

Sam closed the door and went to check the basket he had set up next to the bed. It was gone. Dean must have used it in the night and took it into the bathroom to clean out. He grabbed his cell and dialed Bobby.

"Yel-lo."

"Bobby, it's me, Sam."

"Hey boy. You get that research done yet?"

"Hoping to finish it today. Some professor borrowed the last book I needed. Should be back in today."

"Good to hear."

"Bobby I need to pick your brain."

"Okay, shoot."

"Well... Dean came home in the middle of the night from the bar -"

"That's not unusual." Bobby chuckled.

Sam sighed. "Well he came back in only his underwear and before you say anything else, let me finish. He doesn't have any memory of the night's events after he stepped into the restroom around ten o'clock. He wasn't robbed as all his clothes and weapons that he normally carries were on the car seat next to him. Then he got really sick."

"What do you mean by really sick?"

"Feverish, chills, puking. Flu-like I guess. Could be totally unrelated, but I'm not so sure. In our line of work, everything is suspect." Sam heard Bobby mumble to himself over the line. "Also I had a run in with a demon at the library yesterday evening. He attacked me and said something like "They won't need Dean after all." I have no idea what it was all about. He took off before I could get anything out of him. Something strange is going on here, but damned if I can figure out what."

"How is Dean this morning?"

"He said he was feeling better but that he wanted to stay here at the motel and sleep, so he's not over it, whatever it is, quite yet."

Bobby sighed. "Sorry, Sam, but nothing comes readily to mind, but I'll do some digging and see if I can find anything. I'll call you back."

"Okay. Thanks Bobby."

Sam set his phone down and stood there lost in thought. Hearing a thump behind him, he turned to see Dean flopped down on the bed. "How you doin', man?"

"Mmmpph."

Sam smiled. Dean could be a huge baby when he was sick. "That good huh?" Sam went to his bag, grabbed some clothes and headed for the bathroom. "You all done in here?" No answer. "Dean?" He turned back. Dean was out cold.

Sam got cleaned up and when he came back out, Dean was awake again and sitting up in the bed. "Let me go out and pick you up some saltines or something. Maybe you'll be able to keep them down. Some tea."

"Not hungry."

Sam headed for the door. "You need to try to keep something in your stomach, Dean." He pulled open the door to the room and froze. "Umm, Dean?"

"What?" Dean sounded very whiney.

"What happened to the car?"

It didn't matter how sick Dean was, he was out of the bed and headed for the door in a heartbeat. Sam put his hands out and stopped him "Dude you're naked! You can't go out there!"

Dean stopped and looked down at himself and veered to the side and pulled the curtain back from the little window. He peered out at the parking lot and his car. "Son of a bitch!" Dean quickly turned to the kitchen sink and vomited again. Sam went out and looked closer at the car. There was a scratch that ran the length of the car, another small jagged scratch near the keyhole, and then a large "FUCK YOU" in the driver's side rear fender. He went around the car but saw no other damage.

When he came around again, Dean was leaning in the doorway, his jacket held in front of himself. He looked like he was going to puke again. "This doesn't jar any memories for you?"

Dean just stared at the car and shook his head. He was shooting daggers from his eyes. God help the poor soul who did this when Dean finds them. Sam sighed. "This is going to cost a fortune in paint."

"I can do the work myself." Dean mumbled.

"Yes you can. But we still need to buy the paint. Man, no more late night benders for you. At least not while we're in this freaking town."

"No argument here. Why don't you come back in, Sam. You're out there in the open."

Sam frowned at Dean and looked around the empty parking lot. "I need to go to the library and get you set up with something to eat, Dean. I'll be fine. You should get back in the room before people start thinking we're not brothers." Dean looked down at the jacket he was holding in front of himself and backed into the room, eyes shifting back and forth across the parking lot. "What's wrong with you?"

"I wish I knew. Just be careful, okay?"


	10. Chapter 10

10

Sam brought Dean some crackers, tea bags, and goldfish crackers. Dean wouldn't admit it, but they were a weakness for him when he was sick. He made sure he was all set for a day in bed with the flu and then set out for the library. He only got a couple stares in the car. He should stop and get the proper stuff to rub out at least the 'fuck you' tonight on the way back to the motel.

Sam stepped over to the desk and signed in, then waited for the librarian to come back from wherever she was. He needed to be let into the rare books room. He strolled around the main lobby area of the library, looking at the student art displayed on the walls while he waited.

"Oh! Mr. Kincaid. You're back."

Sam turned to see the librarian walking in from a side room carrying an armload of magazines. He quickly stepped over and helped her out with them, setting them on the counter for her. "Yes ma'am. Here about that book that was borrowed."

"I was afraid you were going to say that." She bit her lip nervously.

"Why?" Sam got a sinking feeling in his gut.

"The professor needed a few more hours. Said he'd have it back to us around three or so."

"But... you close at four." She just winced at him in apology. Sam sighed. "Whatever. Guess I'll be back at three. Thanks."

Walking out to the car, Sam wondered what he would do with himself all day. He supposed he should go back and look after Dean, although he hated the thought of being cooped up in that motel room with someone with the flu.

Sam spent the day cleaning up after Dean when he was sick, calming him down when he was awake, and catching a few winks himself when Dean actually slept. His phone rang around nine that night.

"Bobby?"

"Yeah. How is he?"

"About the same. Throwing up too much. I'm having trouble keeping anything in him."

"Any new symptoms?"

"Well, he acts weird when he's awake. Not afraid really, but... nervous?"

"So fever, chills, vomiting and paranoia. I got nothing."

"That's not what I wanted to hear."

"Sorry, son. You may have to consider that this is just the flu."

Sam sighed in frustration.

"Not everything is a monster, Sam."

"I know. But I can't shake the feeling that something is going on here."

ooooOOOOOooooo

"Report."

"Dev, we got a problem."

"What is it? You should have been here by now."

"That's the thing. Dean never showed at the bar tonight."

"He didn't..."

"No. We waited about an hour or two and when he didn't show, we headed down to their motel to check things out."

"They're still there, right?"

Lucas could hear a bit of panic creep into her voice. "Yeah, yeah. But Dean is sick. Like, really sick" Lucas could hear someone talking in the background on Dev's end of the line.

"He said he's sick... Stu wants to know what the symptoms are."

"Um, he's got the flu. You know, chills but fever, puking all over the place, sleeping a lot. Oh and he seems a bit paranoid. When he's awake at least."

More muffled talking on Dev's end. "Okay. Pull it back to base. Show's over for tonight. We need to re group. Damn it!"

"Alright see you soon."

Dev clicked off her phone and jammed it into her pocket. "This can't be happening. We don't have time for this!"

"We need to stop this." Stu murmured.

"Stop it? What do you mean?"

"I mean, we need to stop this experiment. Find yourself another candidate."

"No. There's no time for that. Dean is our best chance at getting the target. No."

"You don't understand. If we continue, we may kill him."

"What are you talking about?"

Stu sighed in frustration. "When I first started doing these experiments, we found that a very small percentage of people, and I mean really small... like 3%. Anyway, about 3% of people have side effects from the little drug cocktail used for this... work. We need to stop."

"So he's sick... big deal."

"No!" Stu growled under his breath. "He will die if we continue!"

"What?"

"If we give him more we will only be killing him faster."

"How long?"

"How long what?"

"How long until he dies?"

"How can you... ? Umm. Four maybe five days? But if we stop now, I have a little drug cocktail that can stop it in it's tracks and save him, but the longer we wait, the less effective it is."

"Four or five days? That's perfect. You do your little magic, say, two more times and then we set him loose on the target."

"I don't even feel comfortable doing it one more time, let alone twice!"

"But don't you see how this works in our favor?" Devana smiled sweetly at Stu, putting him off guard. "If Dean kills his target and then dies himself... the local authorities won't come after us. It will be an open and shut case. The world will lose a dangerous threat and the one who killed him, all thanks to you!"

Stu thought about it. "The target, why is he so dangerous anyway?"

"He's targeting probably only the worst baddie on the planet. Plans on freeing him from his prison and setting him loose on the world. This guy is bad news! The target is probably the only one in the world with the know how to do it, too."

Stu looked like he was going to be sick. "Fine. Two more times, but that's it. Not that he would survive more than that anyway. But how are we going to do this? He won't be coming to the bar in the condition he's in."

"Let me worry about that."

ooooOOOOOOoooo

The next day, Dean was doing marginally better. His symptoms hadn't changed any, but he had been able to keep down a cup of tea, which he complained about the whole time, and about ten crackers. It wasn't a lot by any standards, but it was better than nothing. Sam spent the majority of the day doing research at the library and doing Dean's laundry, as well as some stuff from the motel. Dean, much like a baby, had christened almost every surface in the room. If he would just stay in bed, it would be fine, but he would get convinced that he was feeling better and get up and start moving around the room and then toss his cookies unexpectedly. Sam was at wits end.

"Dean, would you just stay in bed?!" Dean was up and roaming around the room again.

"But I feel better. For real this time! I can't keep laying in that bed! I'm going nuts man!"

Sam rolled his eyes. "You said that the last three times. You do realize that, right?"

Dean wandered over to the window and looked out at his car. "It's killing me seeing her like that. Maybe I'll go out and sand it down by hand."

"Dean. You shouldn't go out there. I am not cleaning your puke off the pavement of the parking lot!"

Dean turned from the window. "I told you dude..." He never finished the sentence. He was too busy running for the kitchenette and the sink. He almost made it this time.

Sam sighed. Even though the research was finally done, they weren't going anywhere with Dean in this condition.


	11. Chapter 11

11

That evening, while Dean finally lay sleeping, there was a knock at their door. Sam glanced over at Dean, who remaining asleep, and picked up his gun from the table. Peeking out the edge of the curtain, Sam could just make out the two hunters from the bar. He tucked the gun into the back of his pants and stepped out the door, pulling it quietly closed behind him.

"Hey fellas. What's up?"

The taller one, Lucas maybe, frowned and tried to see past him as he closed the door. "Just worried about Dean. He said he'd meet us at the bar last night and never showed. So when he didn't show tonight we thought maybe you guys had to blow town. Anyway, when we were driving by, we saw the car and the light and thought we'd stop by and make sure everything was ok."

"Dude what the fuck happened to his car?" Dom asked.

Sam sighed. "We don't know. Obviously Dean must have ticked someone off. Listen, guys, he's pretty sick."

"Like how sick? You guys need a doctor?"

"Um, I don't think..."

"Sam. We're all hunters here. I know. But we're a little more local than you. We know a guy who makes house calls and doesn't ask a lot of questions."

"Yeah, let us give him a call." Dom added.

Sam bit his lip briefly in thought. Thinking of all the vomiting Dean had been doing for two days, he nodded his head.

"Good. I'll give him a call. I can't guarantee he can get out here tonight, but probably sometime tomorrow for sure."

"Thanks, man. I really appreciate it."

Lucas clapped him on the shoulder. "Don't mention it. We gotta stick together, right? I'll give you a call tomorrow and let you know the details."

ooooOOOOooooo

"So it was Jarod?"

The young demon refused to pull her eyes from the floor. She nodded her head.

"Damn the young upstart! He was told nobody approaches either Winchester! Has he been prepped?" Devana paced around the room. It only made the young demon more nervous, but she couldn't help it. Jarod had been brought in to help out with this whole enterprise kind of late in the game. Devana didn't know him as well as the rest and now she was paying for it. Well, rather, Jarod was paying for it.

"Yes ma'am."

"Excellent. Go ahead and make the call." Jarod would pay for his insubordination.

The girl pulled out a cell phone, closed her eyes for a moment, and then dialed the number.

"Hello?"

"Sam. It's me. I only have a moment."

"Ruby? This connection is horrible. What is it?"

"I have a gift for you. Some extra blood for the taking. I caught him skipping town."

"Him who?"

"The scumbag who attacked you in the library."

" How do you know about that?"

"Seriously, Sam? If it's going on in the demon world, I can find out about it. Anyway, I am being summoned and I have to go. You can find him in the blue boxcar at the abandoned rail yard about half an hour east of town. You got that?"

"Blue boxcar, east of town. Got it."

The young demon snapped the phone shut and looked up at Devana. "Well done, Miranda. You will get your reward." Devana snapped her fingers and Miranda popped out of the room.

Dev smiled to herself and went over to the intercom. "Get ready Stu. We leave in five."

Lucas and Dom met them outside with the truck and they headed back over to the motel. They waited at the far end of the lot for about ten minutes before Sam finally left. They gave it another ten minutes before they made their move.

oooooOOOOOoooo

Sam arrived at the train yard about forty minutes later. There were about five or six abandoned train cars scattered about the now quiet yard. They were covered with graffiti and rust. Sam glanced around and, not seeing anyone, headed over toward the mostly blue train car. He pulled his gun and scanned under the car. Stopping and listening for any sounds, he scanned the top edge of the car as he circled around it. The large sliding door on the back side of the car was partly open.

Sam pulled out his flashlight and slid along the car to the opening. He leaned out and shined his light in the hole. At the back of the car was a man tied to a chair, a devil's trap on the roof above him. He looked to have taken quite the beating. There was blood all over his chin and neck and down the front of his shirt. Sam quickly scanned the other end of the car but it was empty.

He climbed up and in and cautiously approached the demon. "What's your name?"

The demon just glared at him with hatred in his eyes.

"You attacked me in the library. Who sent you? Why?"

The demon rolled his eyes and stared at the walls.

Sam growled with frustration. "What does Dean have to do with any of this?"

The demon stared at him for a moment and then attempted to hiss at him. Sam took a step back in shock. The demon's tongue had been ripped out. Had Ruby done it? Or maybe someone else had gotten to him first? Either way, it explained why the demon wasn't talking. Sam would harvest the blood anyway. He could ask Ruby about it later. Sam dropped the bag he had been carrying and dug around in it. He pulled out a couple of water bottles and approached the demon with his knife drawn.

ooooOOOOOooooo

Lucas knocked on the door but there was no answer. He pounded a little harder. "Dean!" They heard a muffled "go away" from the room beyond. "Use the key." Dominic pulled the motel key they had lifted from Dean a few nights before and unlocked the door. When they entered, Dean was hanging over the edge of his bed, a string of saliva dangling from his lips and his gun pointed at them.

Lucas put his hands up. "Hey man, relax, it's just us."

Dean lowered his gun and tucked it under his pillow. "Not really up for a trip to the bar, fellas."

"We know. That's why we brought our doctor friend to take a look at you." As they filed into the room, Stu brought up the rear and turned a critical eye towards Dean. Lucas slapped Stu on the shoulder. "This is Dr. Paul. He's going to take a look at ya, okay?"

"I don't need a doctor, guys. I'll be fine."

"Uh huh."

Stu started taking Dean's vitals while he was complaining. "I guess you're going to check me out anyway, though."

"I might as well since I'm here."

While he was working, Lucas started messing with the tv. "What are you up to over there?"

"Thought we'd set you up with some decent entertainment while you were laid up. Just gotta get the DVD player hooked up here."

"Awesome."

"Can you explain your symptoms to me?" Stu asked.

"Sure. I alternate between feeling perfectly fine and feeling like crap. When I feel like crap, I puke, I feel exhausted and sleep a lot. I can't seem to keep any shit down. It's really tempting to eat when I'm feeling fine, but I pay for it if I do."

"Hmmm. It sounds like you have the flu."

"See guys? I didn't need a doctor to tell me that."

"Have you ever heard of Tamiflu?"

"Nope."

"It's a fairly new medication that treats the flu. I have some with me." Stu turned to his bag and pulled out a syringe.

"Umm. Yeah. Think I'll pass."

Dominic laughed. "You mean the mighty Dean Winchester is afraid of needles?"

"I never said that."

"Then prove it."

"I'm too sick for this shit. Fine, doc. Hit me."

Stu came around the bed. "Why don't you sit up against the headboard a bit." Dean scooched up in the bed, glaring at Dom who continued to chuckle. "This might make you a bit drowsy."

Stu stuck the needle in Dean's arm and waited for him to start dropping off. He went around the other side of the bed, reaching absently into his pocket for the other syringe.

"Boy, you weren't kidding." Dean slurred.

When the time was right, Stu gave Dean the second injection. Dean's body went rigid, as expected, but then started to thrash around.

"What's wrong? Is it not working?" Dom questioned.

"Grab him and hold him still. He's seizing."

"Is this normal?" Lucas asked as he turned at the foot of the bed and helped hold Dean's legs down.

"No, damn it! All of this is a reaction to the drugs."

"So he gets the flu. Big deal. I don't like the asshole anyway." Dom held down one side of Dean, opposite Stu.

"It's more than the flu! We should be stopping this whole thing! But your boss could care less about the final outcome for this man."

Dom just shrugged his shoulders and Stu looked at him incredulously. "This damn experiment is killing him! Don't you care?"

"Not really. We have a job to do."

Stu sighed and shook his head but didn't get a chance to respond as Dean was coming out of it. Lucas turned and finished with the tv set up. Once he was done he nodded to Stu, motioned to the door with his head to Dom, and then stepped out. Dom followed him and Stu started up the evening's video for Dean.


	12. Chapter 12

12

"So how did it go last night, Stu?" Devana sat at a desk in the building they had been using for the business at hand. Stu, Lucas, and Dom were all present. They were in the final stretch. If they could get Dean over this hump with the medications and have him successfully kill the target, there would be promotions for all of them. Glory to be had.

"Not well. I mean the actual session was fine, but Dean is not doing well. He had a seizure during the drug administration last night. He's not keeping food down. I worry about even one more session with him."

"But can it be done?"

Stu shot up from his seat. "Why are you so hell bent on this? We can easily find another candidate for the experiment! You're sentencing this man to death!"

"Yes, but his and the target's deaths will save millions more."

Stu growled in frustration and started pacing around the room.

"Have you already forgotten what my boss has done for you?" Devana watched him closely.

Stu stopped his pacing abruptly. "No, I..."

"This is the only favor we have ever asked of you, Stu. Do this right and who knows? Maybe the boss will extend your contract? You never know."

Stu licked his lips. Whether it was nerves or the desire for more time, Devana wasn't sure, but she knew as soon as he did it that she had him.

"Just one more session, Stu, and then your work here is done. This time tomorrow, you can be sipping margaritas in Bermuda." Stu looked at the floor, beaten, and nodded. "Why don't you go get together what you need for tonight."

Stu nodded again and beat a hasty retreat. Devana turned her eyes on Lucas. "So do you have any ideas on how to get the brother out of the picture for a while tonight?"

"Yeah, Kelly."

"And Kelly is?"

"Someone who owes me. She owns a shop about an hour from here. If we could think of a reason to send Sam there, it would clear him out for easily two hours."

"So how do we get him to go out there?"

"That's what I'm mulling over. Is Miranda as good as they say with the voices?"

"She did Ruby the other night well enough. What did you have in mind?"

oooooOOOOOOoooo

With no research pending and Dean out with whatever he had, they both slept in the next day. Sam tried to be leisurely about everything, but their life had never really been about leisure. He spent the day cleaning up after Dean, trying to get some food into him, and arguing with him when he felt 'fine'.

"Would you stop pestering me already?"

"Dean, you aren't better. Every time you say you feel fine you get up, over do it, and then puke out whatever is left in your stomach. Just take it easy."

"I'm going crazy, Sammy! I can't lay in that bed forever!"

Sam sighed and lowered his voice. "Yes. I know. I get it. I just want you to get better and if you keep pushing yourself, you're going to wear yourself out. You'll drag out your recovery even longer."

"But I will be getting better! The doc even said so."

Sam frowned. "What doc?"

"Oh. Forgot to tell you, I guess." Dean sat heavily on the edge of the bed. After having paced around the room and getting feisty, he was now crashing. Sam tried hard not to point it out to him. "Lucas and Dominic came by last night while you were out. Had a doctor with them."

"Doctor who?"

"The guy's name was... umm... It was a first name. You know? His last name was a first name. I don't remember, dude!"

"Anyway..."

"Anyway, he said it definitely sounded like the flu. Gave me something for it. Tam... Tam something. It's supposed to shorten the whole thing. He said I should be up and running in three to four days."

Dean scooted to the end of the bed. "And check out what Dom brought me to help pass the time!" Dean pointed out the DVD player that was hooked up to the tv.

"Dom brought that? I had assumed you had gotten the desk clerk to rig something up for you."

"Nah man! He even brought me this!" Dean held up a DVD case for Sam.

"Casa Erotica 4?" This was followed by an eye roll.

"Don't roll your eyes at me! Do you know how hard it is to find a copy of 4? It's a classic, dude!"

"Whatever. I think there's some laundry around here just begging to get done." Sam started collecting clothes, towels, a set of sheets, and various other things and started stuffing it all in a pillowcase. "I'll just leave you two alone for a while."

"You don't know what you're missing."

"I think I do and I can't get out of here fast enough." Sam paused, looking at Dean. "You gonna be okay here alone for a while?"

"I have the flu, Sammy, not the plague. I'll be fine."

Sam watched for a moment as Dean got his Casa Erotica going on the DVD player and grinned. Sick as a dog and stills wants his porn. He grabbed the pillowcase they had jammed dirty laundry into and left Dean to it. He lifted the lid of the trunk and tossed the bag in. Just as he was about to close it, he caught sight of the water bottles he had tucked into the corner of the trunk. He grabbed one, glanced nervously around the parking lot, and took a pull from it. He quickly put the bottle back and swiped the back of his hand across his mouth.

At the laundromat, while the washer was running, Sam gave Bobby a call but got got his answering machine. "Hey Bobby. Sam. Just thought I'd touch base. Dean's hunter friends brought a doctor by last night while I was out stocking up." Not really a lie, right? "Dean said the doc said it was the flu. Gave him something he couldn't remember but I looked it up. Tamiflu. Anyway, he should be on the mend soon. Hoping to be out of here and on our way to you in the next three or four days. So you were right. You can rub it in when we get there."

Sam grinned. He wasn't sure what the two of them would have done all these years without Bobby. When the wash and drying was all done, Sam headed back by way of the sandwich shop on the corner. He tried to do the majority of his eating out of the room. Dean got ornery when he ate in front of him and he couldn't eat himself. When he got back to the room, Dean was out cold and the tv had static all over the screen. Sam clicked it off and settled in on his own bed with his laptop to pass the time.


	13. Chapter 13

13

"You think you can do this, Miranda?" Devana looked closely at the small demon.

"Yes ma'am. Easy."

"Let me hear you do it one more time." Lucas asked her.

Miranda turned to him and smirked at him. "Damn it, boy, you're such an idjit."

He grinned. "That's Bobby Singer all right."

"All right, then. Let's do this." Devana handed Miranda a cell phone.

Miranda turned her back on the others, closed her eyes, and breathed deeply. She then dialed the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey Sam. How's your brother?"

"Bobby. Hey. About the same. He's sweating buckets right now. Need to give him something to bring this fever down."

"Tylenol. Anyhow, reason I'm calling. Since you boys are stuck there for a while longer... wonder if you could do me a favor. I'll pay ya back somehow."

Sam chuckled over the other end of the phone. "You don't need to pay us back in any way, Bobby. What do you need?"

Miranda gave a thumbs up and continued. "I have a friend who owns a mystic shop in Bellford. It's about an hour east of you. I was supposed to go there and pick up a few things she has been on the look out for, but my danged car is acting up and I'm not going to make it."

"Sure Bobby. Just give me the details and I'll go get the stuff for you."

Miranda then gave Sam instructions on how to get to the shop and Kelly's name. After she hung up, Devana smiled. "Excellent. That will take Sam out of the picture for a couple hours, easy."

Miranda looked expectantly a Devana. "Well done, Miranda. I see you going far. You may go."

Miranda popped out and Dev turned to Lucas and Dom. "Okay, let's gather up the good doctor and be on our way."

Sam hung up with Bobby. If he was going out for that long he had some things to do around here first. He grabbed a glass of water and dug out four tylenol tabs and set them on the small table next to Dean's bed. He had grabbed a chicken salad sandwich at the shop, earlier, in the hopes he'd be able to get Dean to eat it. He unwrapped it and set it next to the tylenol.

Looking down at his brother he decided to get a cool washcloth as well. Dean was covered in a damp sweat and his pillow was wet with it. He held his hand to his brother's forehead. He was burning up.

When he came back from the bathroom, he sat on the edge of the bed and gently shook Dean awake. Dean was slow to open his eyes and when he did, he jerked back away from Sam, swearing.

"Holy shit!"

"What?" Sam frowned at him.

"What did I tell you about looming over me? Damn!"

"Dean, I'm not looming over you. I'm just sitting on the edge of the bed."

"Whatever. What is it? What's wrong?"

"You. You're what's wrong. Sit up. Your fever is getting high. I have some tylenol here. You need to take them and there's a sandwich I want you to try to eat."

"Yes mom." Dean sat up in bed and looked nervously around the room. He swallowed the tylenol down and looked sourly at the sandwich.

"Dean, please. You have to try to eat. Here." Sam took the wash cloth and set it against Dean's forehead.

"Thanks." Dean took the cloth and rubbed it around his face and neck. Sam looked pointedly at him and the sandwich. "Fine!" Dean draped the wash cloth over the top of his head and grabbed the sandwich. "When I puke, I'm aiming for you."

"Aim all you want. I won't be here to hit."

"You won't? Where you going?" Dean took a small nibble off the sandwich making a face as he did so.

"Bobby called. Wanted to know if I could go pick up some things from a friend if his. He's having car trouble again. Friend is about an hour from here. I estimate being gone for two and half, maybe three, hours." He looked at Dean to see how that was received.

Dean glanced nervously around the room again. "Sure man, I'll be fine. Got my sandwich." He held up his sandwich like a prize. "Got my porn." He used the sandwich to point to the tv. "Got my puke bucket." He pointed to the waste can next to the bed. "What could go wrong?"

"Seriously, Dean? You had to say that?" Dean just grinned at him and took another bite of his sandwich.

Sam shook his head and gathered up his gear. They never went out on the road without a weapon. Grabbing his phone and the keys he turned back to Dean. "Take care of yourself. Stay in bed. Rest!"

"Yes mommy."

ooooooooOOOOOOOOOooooooooo

"There he goes. We'll wait a bit before going in." Devana peered out the windshield, watching the Impala pull out of the lot. After about twenty minutes they moved in. Lucas knocked on the door.

"Who is it?"

"Dean, man, it's Lucas and Dom. We brought by Doc Paul. He wanted to check on you."

There was silence from inside the room and Lucas looked up at Dev. He knocked again.

"Dean?"

"Keep your panties on!"

Dom chuckled. They waited on the sidewalk, trying not to look out of place. The door opened to Dean in his boxer briefs. He looked at all of them in surprise. "Well hell, it's a party." He turned and walked back to the bed, collapsing on it.

"Dean. You're not looking so hot."

Dean looked at Dev. "Aren't we queen of the obvious."

Stu pushed his way through before Dev lost her temper. "Hello Dean. Feeling worse or the same?" Stu pulled out an ear thermometer and popped it in Dean's ear.

"Everything is the same except my temp. I'm burning up."

"Have you taken anything for it?"

"Yeah four tylenol almost an hour ago."

Stu pulled the thermometer away and looked at it. "Temperature is a little high but not urgent. Seems the tylenol is starting to do it's job. Why don't you lay back. I brought the second dose of Tamiflu for you."

"Yeah that stuff totally knocked me out last time."

"It should. Helps you get the proper rest you need."

Dean lay back on the bed and Stu pulled out a syringe. He went around to the far aide of the bed and took hold of Dean's arm. He glanced up at Dev who nodded her head.

"Doc? Something wrong?" Dean asked.

Stu hesitated a moment more. "No, sorry. Okay, let's get you medicated." Stu injected the drugs into Dean's arm and watched as he slowly began to drop off. He went around the bed and pulled out the other syringe. He took a fortifying breath and then gave Dean the second shot. Stu waited for a seizure but Dean transitioned fairly smoothly into the zen state needed for the video.

Stu nodded to Dom who started up the video, then he, Lucas and Dev left the room. Apparently they didn't feel like sticking around for the next hour of genocide, torture, and general scenes of hell on earth. Stu stuck around, though, keeping a close eye on Dean's well being.

At one point, Dean threw up on himself. A sorry side effect of the drugs but nothing could be done about it. Stu cleaned him up as best he could. Dean never seemed to notice it. He was completely engrossed in the video.

A few minutes before the end, Devana and the guys came back in. She motioned Stu over and quietly inquired as to the proceedings thus far.

"He's doing very well as far as the re-education is going. The side effects of the drugs are taking their toll, though. I hope he's strong enough to even take the target down."

"You've never seen Dean Winchester in a fight. He's certainly a force to be reckoned with. He'll be fine."

"Once he's done, I will need to wipe his mind of certain things and give him his orders."

"Wipe his mind of what?"

"You, for starters. If, for some amazing reason he doesn't die due to his health, do you really want him hunting you?"

"Good point."

"So I'll need you and the guys to leave the room. It wouldn't be prudent for him to see you again so soon after I do the wipe. You probably should just leave the country."

"Are you crazy? I want to stick around for the show."

"And if something goes wrong? You want to be around for the Winchesters to point fingers at?" Devana considered his words and was about to argue when he continued. "And do you want to be around if it goes as planned?"

"That makes no sense."

"It makes perfect sense. You say you are working against an enemy faction. What do you think they'll do when their prize pony goes down? They're going to start pointing fingers. I'm thinking none of you would even want to be on the same continent when this goes down. Just take me back to my car before you pop out is all I ask."

"You actually make a good case, Stuart, which is surprising. I guess I've been so focused on the end game that I hadn't thought of logistics after we win." She thought about it for a moment then gave a nod of her head. "Very well. We'll make ourselves scarce."

"Stu."

Stuart turned to see the video was done. He gave a nod to Dom who set to work disconnecting the DVD player. Stu turned to Dean. "Close your eyes Dean, and rest a moment."

Dean closed his eyes and Stu waited for Dom to finish with the tv. Dev motioned for Lucas and Dom to follow her outside.

"We gonna waste the little doctor tonight?" Dom asked eagerly once they were outside.

"No, we can't. Remember he's under contract. We can't touch him, but we'll pop him back to his car while we head to Europe. He can fend for himself."

Inside, Stu set about working the finishing touches onto Dean. He sat at the side of the bed. "Scuttlefish." Stu waited a moment to be sure Dean was ready for instruction. "Dean, answer me yes or no. Understand?"

There was a moment as Dean adjusted and then he answered. "Yes."

"Do you know who Lucas and Dominic are?"

"Yes."

"After we are done here, you will no longer know them. Empty your mind of any thoughts of them. You will not recognize their names. You will not recognize them on sight because you have never met them. Understand?"

"Yes."

"Do you know who Devana is?"

"Yes."

"Empty your mind of any thoughts of her. You will not recognize her name. You will not recognize her on sight after tonight. Understand?"

"Yes."

Stu took a second and glanced up at the door and windows and prayed those damn demons weren't listening in.

"Do you know who Stu is?"

"Yes."

"You will remember Stu as a friend. If you see him again, know that he is there to help you. Understood?"

"Yes."

Stu sighed and then took a deep breath. Now for the part he hated but he had no choice. He had to take this to the end to absolve himself of any foul play. "Dean... do you know who the target is?"

"Yes."

"What do you want to do to the target?"

Dean hesitated, his mouth moving but no words coming.

"Go ahead and answer."

"I want to kill him."

"Very good. Tell me, what is the target's name?"

"Sam Winchester."


	14. Chapter 14

14

"Everything all set?"

"Yes ma'am. He's sleeping right now. He'll awaken in about twenty minutes and prepare for Sam's return."

"Excellent. You have served very well, Stuart. I'll be sure to put in a good work with the one who holds your contract."

They didn't bother driving the van back to where Stu's car was parked. Lucas just grabbed him by the arm and popped him there.

"Behave yourself, Stu. This better go down as planned or you may find that your contract has mysteriously been shortened."

"Lucas, I've done everything as discussed. The subject is primed and ready to kill, I promise you. If anything goes wrong after tonight, it's not my doing."

"You better hope nothing goes wrong. I'll have you know that it isn't our custom to leave witnesses. Do you understand my meaning?"

Stu swallowed nervously. "Fully, sir."

Lucas roughly shoved him toward his car. "I suggest you take your own advice and make yourself scarce."

Stu stammered. "Yes sir... I mean... I hear Florida is nice this time of year." Lucas popped out before he even finished. Stu checked his watch. Lucas had taken his damned time. He had already lost forty minutes, give or take. He had to get moving.

ooooOOOOOooooooo

Sam wrestled the grocery bag out of the car. Since they were staying a few more days, he took the chance to stop and get some fruits and vegetables. Dean might be able to live indefinitely on diner food, but he couldn't.

As he stepped up to the motel room door he heard a horn honk. Turning to scan the parking lot, he didn't see anyone or any cars he recognized. He slipped quickly and quietly into the room, in case Dean was sleeping, and turned to lock the door behind him.

When he turned back to the room he heard a growl and then Dean was there, lunging toward him with a knife. Thankfully Sam had turned when he did, otherwise the knife would have driven into his back. Instead it plunged to the hilt through his forearm just below his elbow.

Dropping the grocery bag, Sam gasped. "Dean! What the hell? It's me, man!"

"I know!" Dean growled and slammed Sam into the door, both hands wrapped around his throat.

Sam struggled with his one good hand to loosen Dean's hold to no avail. "What are you doing? What's gotten into you?" He gasped between wheezing breaths.

Dean's only response was to squeeze harder. Sam tried to bring his knee up to go for Dean's groin but couldn't get the room. Dean was right on top of him.

There was a pounding on the door behind him and he could faintly hear someone calling his name, but he was otherwise too preoccupied to pay any attention. In a move of desperation, he swung his long leg out behind Dean, curled it in, hooked it on his knees, and gave it a tug. It was enough to cause Dean to lose his balance.

Dean started falling to the side and stumbled backwards doing that hopping skip one will do to keep from falling. He bumped into the table and then fell, crashing into the chairs sitting there. The pounding happened on the door again and Sam realized it was Bobby calling from outside. He quickly turned and unlocked the door. Bobby came bursting in and slammed the door shut behind him. Sam reached behind him to lock it, not wanting unwanted guests when Dean seemed to be acting out of his mind.

"What the hell is going on in here?"

No sooner were the words out of his mouth than a chair came sailing through the air. Both men threw their arms up to protect their heads and dodged to the sides, the chair flying between them and crashing against the wall behind them. Sam circled around toward the beds, hoping to get Dean between them. Dean, though, kept his eyes on Sam, paying no attention to Bobby.

"Dean? Boy, what has gotten into you?" Bobby tried to grab Dean by the arm as he passed, but his skin was slick with sweat and he couldn't get a grip.

Never taking his eyes from Sam he answered. "None of your business, old man. Stay out of this." Dean threw his arm out and, hitting Bobby, shoved him back toward the door.

Dean moved in on Sam and shoved him. Sam's legs hit the edge of the bed and he fell back on it. "Dean, you don't want to do this."

"Like hell I do." Dean chuckled. "You see what I did there?"

Sam looked at his brother in total confusion. He didn't know this person at all. Sam started crawling backward across the bed, away from Dean, as best as he could with one arm. "Dean, I don't know what's going on, but we can figure this out."

"Listen to him, Dean." Bobby was coming up behind Dean, hoping to grab him from behind.

"I told you Bobby," Dean turned and looked at him with a look of murder in his eyes that shocked even Bobby. "This is none of your business." Dean set his hands on the bed on either side of Sam's feet as he was scooting back.

"I'll be damned if it isn't my business." Bobby moved in and Dean kicked backward, connecting with Bobby's chest, sending him hurtling through the air. He crashed into the remaining chair and counter in the kitchenette, dropping to the floor.

"Dean! Stop this! What are you doing?!"

"Pretty obvious I thought." Dean grabbed Sam's foot and hauled him back across the bed. Crawling up onto the bed and straddling Sam, Dean smashed him in the face.

"Dean, I don't want to fight you. You're not in your right mind!" Sam bucked under him but couldn't throw him.

"Fine. That'll just make this all easier." Dean punched him two more times in the face, enjoying himself. It made Sam's stomach ill and his skin crawl. He started hearing pounding and he wasn't sure if it was his head or if there was someone else at the door.

"Dean please stop. Tell me what's going on." He had to get him to stop. If he lost consciousness, it was game over.

Dean came in for another punch and Sam whipped his good hand out and grabbed his fist. Dean growled, pulled his hand, and Sam's, down out of the way and brought in his left. With no other choice, Sam brought up his other arm to block it. Instead of his fist careening off his arm, Dean grabbed Sam by his wrist and looked at the knife in his arm. He then looked at Sam and the level of crazy behind his eyes scared the shit of him.

"Dean? No. Don't!"

Dean grabbed the handle of the knife and grinned down at him.

"Damn it, Dean! Stop!"

Dean yanked the knife out of Sam's arm causing a scream to escape his lips. The pounding turned to crashing glass. Maybe the cops were here? That would good for Sam... not so good for Dean.

Dean let out a low chuckle and brought the knife down toward Sam's heart. Sam threw his hand out and grabbed Dean's wrist. They both grunted with effort. Dean pushing down and Sam trying his damnedest to push up. Dean was winning. He had the leverage. Sam put his weakened arm behind it, pushing against Dean with both hands.

"Give it up Sammy." Dean put his other hand over the butt of the knife, knelt up on the bed and leaned his whole body into it. The tip of the knife pierced the skin of Sam's chest and he yelled out in pain.

"Scuttle fish!"

Dean stopped, knelt back, arms slack at his sides.

"Drop the knife."

Dean's hand loosened and the knife fell to the bed. Sam grabbed his bleeding arm and tried to see past Dean.

"Go lay down on the other bed."

Amazingly, Dean got up off of him and went over and lay down on the other bed. Sam now saw that the little balding guy from the bar was standing there. "Who are you?"

"The one that just saved your ass. I hope I don't regret it."

"What? What's going on here?"

"I'll explain later. Right now let me attend to Dean. You might want to check on yourself and your friend over there." Stu jerked his head behind him causing Sam to look past him and see Bobby sprawled on the floor.

As Sam went over to check on Bobby, Stu went over to the bed. "Dean, do you know who I am?"

"Stu."

"Am I a friend?"

"Yes."

"Am I here to help you?"

"Yes."

"Sam is not the target. You have been lied to. Agents of hell have used you." Stu could feel the heat radiating off of him. He reached out and felt Dean's forehead. He was on fire. "Shit. Shit!" Stu jumped and ran out of the room.

Sam watched him go. "Hey! What the...? Where are you going?"

Stu came running back in with one of those old fashioned doctor's bags. He rushed over to the bed and started rummaging through the bag. "Damn it! Where is it?" He upended the bag, dumping it's contents onto the bed.

By now, Sam had roused Bobby. He had put a towel to the gash on the back of his head and they had come over to the other bed and sat watching the display before them. Bobby looked down at Sam's bleeding arm. "Son, we need to..."

"Later." Sam's eyes were glued to his brother and the strange man before them.

"Ah ha! Here it is." He held up a syringe in triumph. As he said it, Dean started seizing on the bed.

"What's wrong with him? What have you done to him?"

"Later! Help hold him down! I need him still!"

Sam looked at Bobby who nodded back. They got up, injuries forgotten and helped hold Dean down. Stu knelt on the side of the bed and put his hand on Dean's chest. He looked like he was measuring something and then raised the syringe over his head. He brought it down, jamming it between Dean's ribs and into his heart. Dean's seizure seemed to get worse, Sam and Bobby could barely hold him. He then calmed down and passed out.

"Tell me what the hell is going on. Now." Sam never looked at Stu, but Stu felt the threat in his request all the same.

"The super short of it... Demons. Brainwashing. Drug cocktail. Adverse reaction. Dying." Stu threw his arms up to ward off the physical violence he was sure was coming. When no attack was forthcoming, he slowly lowered his arms and peeked around them.

Sam and Bobby looked at each other. "Demons. Guess you were right after all, Sam."

"Damn it. What did they want? Tell me the long story."

So Stu sat there and spilled his guts to them.

"There's no way in hell I would purposely help Lucifer out of the cage."

Stu looked at him in confusion. "Lucifer?"

"You said I would help let the most dangerous person in the world escape his cell. The short of it... Lucifer."

"And I agree." Bobby added. "There's no way Sam would help that to happen."

"Well, if I were you I would watch my back. Apparently these demons have already made attempts on your life and have failed. They seemed to think Dean was the only way to get to you."

Bobby looked thoughtful for a moment. "Gotta hand it to them. The idea was genius and it almost worked." He looked over at Sam whose arm was still bleeding and who had blood seeping through his shirt.

"What about Dean? Is he okay?"

Stu looked down at the sleeping form of his brother. "We'll see if and when he comes around. The shot I just gave him was my antidote, I guess you could call it. I gave him a triple dose of it. I hope it works. I kind of liked your brother."

"You hope it works?! You don't know?"

"Listen! Whenever anyone showed side effects from the drugs, we stopped the exercises. They wouldn't let me stop! I had no choice!"

"You always have a choice." Sam nodded at his brother lying on the bed. "He would've told you that."

Bobby touched Sam's arm. "Let's get you cleaned up."


	15. Chapter 15

Epilogue

"I've attempted to wipe his mind of everything that has occurred. He shouldn't remember any of this as long as you stick to your story."

"I was attacked by a demon, I killed him. All while he was here recovering from the flu."

"Very good. I gave you the names of the demons that I had contact with if you ever cross their paths again, but I assume they'll stay far away since this whole thing failed."

Sam stuck his hand out and they shook. "If there was a way to get you out of your deal..."

"No. I made my bed and I'll lay in it. Anyway, I think I have more things to make amends for before my time comes due. Good luck, Sam."

"Sammy!"

Sam rolled his eyes and looked back toward the motel room. "He's such a baby when he's sick. Good luck to you Stu and thank you."

FIN


End file.
